The second oldest golf course in India after the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

The

Holes – 18

Length – 6760 yards

Par – 72

Signature Hole – 9th

Altitude – 8,500 feet / 2,650 meters

Open from April to November

No carts – but caddies available

The original six-hole golf course in Gulmarg, a tiny hill station near Srinagar, was built in 1890 by a British army colonel. In 1901, the Maharaja of Kashmir donated land that was turned into a separate course also known as the ‘upper course’, which was redesigned in the 1970s by Peter Thomson, into the Gulmarg Golf Club – a links style public course. The turf, since it lies buried six to eight feet under snow for five months of the year, is soft. The greens are a combination of moss and a variety of high-altitude grass, which are fast to play on, and the thin air carries the ball further.

It features the country’s longest hole, the 8^th, a 610-yard par-5. The toughest hole is the 17th.

It is among the highest and the most beautiful green golf courses in the world. Gulmarg, approximately 2,650 meters above sea level, is also a skiing destination. It is a little over 2 hours (flying and driving time) away from the heat and dust of Delhi!

The Gulmarg Golf Club is currently closed. Ranjit Nanda, a Delhi based golf course architect is redesigning the greens and fairways and extending the course yardage. The course may be ready by summer 2010.